Automatic stop for phonographs



F. D. LEWIS.- AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, 1919.

1,394,777. Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

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FRANK D. LEWIS, OF WEST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO PATHE FRERES PHONOGRAPH COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

reserve.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

Application filed April 26, 1919. Serial No. 293,013.

and useful Improvements in Automatic machine is running. Fig. 2' is a vertical tops for Phonographs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an automatic stop for phonographs and will be described with particular relation to phonographs of the disk type.

The stop of the present invention is in no way dependent for its operation upon power derived from the movement of the tone arm, the needle or stylus tracking the record groove freely to end thereof and not being relied upon in any way to furnish power for actuating the automatic stop. In this way there is none of the extra wear upon the record groove or the phonograph stylus or needle such as results when movement of the tone arm resulting from tracking the record groove is utilized as a source of power for releasing a trip or catch or for performing other similar functions.

The power for operating the automatic stop is obtained, according to the present invention, from a moving element actuated by the phonograph motor. Preferably, for simplicity of construction and operation, suchmoving member is connected to the turntable supplied for rotating the record. The actuating element may, however, be

otherwise located, so long as it is connected with a moving part operated from the phonograph motor.

in the accompanying drawings I have shown one embodiment of the invention for the purpose of illustration and for affording an understanding of my invention only, and not for limitation of the invention. In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view with parts broken away, the parts being shown in the position "occupied while the sectional view of the parts shown-in Fig. 1 and with the parts in the same relative positions as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View similar to Fig. 2 but with the parts in position for stopping the machine. Fig.4 is a detail view showing in the left hand portion thereof a gravity arm supported from beneath and in the right hand portion thereof show g said member in l were r sides,

Fig. 5 isa detail view of means for raising and lowering the gravity arm.

Reference character 10 designates a member supported between its ends to pivot vertlcally on horizontal pivot supports as ll, 11. It is referred to herein for convenience of designation as the gravity arm. The left hand portion 12 of the member 10 is sllghtly heavier than the right hand portlon 13 thereof and parts carried thereby so that unless such left hand end 12 is supported it will overweight the opposite end and move downwardly, as indicated in the right hand portion of Fig. l. The gravity arm 10 is preferably located on the instrument board with one end adjacent to the tone arm bearing and the other end beneath the turntable.

The means for supporting the portion 12 of the member lO-is attached to the tone arm in such manner that it may be adjustably positioned thereon. In the form shown the means provided for this purpose is a member 14 of bent wire having one end part 15 encircling the horizontally rotatable base of the tone arm 16 and clamped thereon by means of a screw clamp 17. The clam screw is set up only tight enough to ho d the member 14 in place on the tone arm with a frictional grip permitting its being turned with respect thereto by the application of a moderate degree of force, so that it can be manually turned with respect to the tone arm, but will retain any adjusted position with respect thereto which is given it until it is manually shifted to a different position. Member 14 is provided with a projecting lug 18 on which the smooth lower portion or shoe 19 of the gravity arm rides freely. Since the overweight of the portion' 12 of member 10, with respect to the portion 13 thereof, 'is slight, there is substantially no frictional retardation of the tone arm in its movement across the record caused by the shoe 19 riding upon the lug 18. The shoe 19 of member 10 is provided with a notch or recess 20 for receiving the lug 18 so that when the relative position of the parts is such that the notch 20 comes over the lug 18 the portion 12 of member 10 drops, lug 18 entering the notch or recess 20.

At or near the opposite end 13 of the member 10, means are provided thereon for poacting with a movable a'tuat ns Ill-ti operated from the phonograph motor. In the form shown such actuating means takes the form of a pin 21 projecting downwardly from the phonograph turntable.

A bell-crank 22 is pivoted on the portion 13 of member 10 at 23. The arm 24 of such bell-crank has an upwardly projecting finger 25 which is engaged by the pin 21 on the turntable 26 when the bell-crank is raised to the position shown in Fig. The other arm 27 of the bell-crank 22 coacts with a lever 28 pivoted at 29 and having a notch 30 for receiving a projection 31 upon thebrake member 32 which is pivoted at 33 and has a brake shoe 34 adapted to be held in contact with the flange 26 of the turntable 26 by means of a spring 35.

The bell-crank 22 is held against a stop 36 by means of a spring 37 and the lever 28 is held against a stop 38 by means of a spring39. A stop 32serves to limit the movement of member 32.

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2 the pin 21 passes freely over finger 25 as the turntable rotates.

WVhen, however, the arm 18 comes under the notch 20, the left hand portion of the member 10 drops down and the right hand portion thereof is elevated, as shown in Fig. 3, and the finger 25 is raised so that the pin 21, rotating with the turntable, comes into engagement therewith.

The motion of the turntable is in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. It

will be seen that the bell-crank 22 is turned by pin 21 so that the arm 27 thereof moves the lever 28 in a direction to free the projection 31 of the stop member 32 from the notch 30 of lever 28, permitting the brake shoe 34 to be forcibly held against the turntable flange by the spring 35 provided for the purpose.

The gravity arm lOmay be turned on its pivot to disengage it from lug 18, if desired, by lifting its exposed end portion 12. Means are preferably provided, however, for raising the gravity arm 10 so as to disengage it from lug 18 upon setting the turntable into rotation. In the form shown, the brake member 32 has a shoulder 40 adapted to bear against a slide bar 41. A spring 42 holds.

the slide 41 in the position shown in 1 with pin 43 thereon in engagement with the keeper '43.

thereof beneath the end 12 o 'ravity arm 10 as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

The operationof the device is as follows :When a record has been placed on the turntable, the lug 18 may be in notch 20, or it may not be therein. The latter will usually be the case, the tone arm being ordinarily swung to one side when out of use. If the lug 18 is not in engagement with notch 20, the tone arm 45 is turned to the position Said slide bar 41 has a cam r' wedge shaped end portion 44 with the point in which the gravity arm 10 falls, the notch 20 having come into register withthe lug 18. The tone arm isthen turned to the position at which it is desired that the machine shall stop, the member 14 being meanwhile held stationary by engagement of lug 1 8 with the notch 20 of gravity arm 10. The member 32 is then turned until it comes intov contact with stop 32. v slide 41 under the end 12 of gravity arm 10 and raises the latter, freeing notch 20 thereof from engagement with lug 18. V

The tone arm may now be freely moved without disturbing the relation obtained in setting, and it is brought to proper playing position near the outer edge of the record. The turntable has already been set into rota-- tion by being freed from contact with the shoe 34 upon turning member 32. The member 32 being released would be brought back to braking position by spring 35but this is prevented by the projection 31 entering notch 30, whereby the'brake'is releasably held in non-braking position.

lVhen the reproduction has been completed and the tone arm has returned to the 28 slightly by means of its exposed end 28 thus releasing projection 31 from notch 30 and bringing brake shoe 34 against the turntable flange.

It will be seen that the invention may be embodied in simple, cheap and easily constructed apparatus and that it is mechanically operated and is positive in operation and that'the only power'utilized, beyond that stored up in spring 35 at setting, is de- 1 rived from the motor itself with no strain on reproducing elements or wear on the rec ord. The invent on vmay be embodied in various forms, that" shown bemgfor illustration and for afi'ording an understanding of the invention only, and various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of my claims without departingfrom or sacrificing the advantages of my invention.

1. In phonograph stop mechanism, a gravity 'armp'ivotally supportedso as to turn in avertical direction, one end of said arm being adjacent to the base of the tone arm,

a member frictionally attached to and'turning with the tonearm and having a portion projecting beneath'the adjacent end of "said gravity arm, said gravity arm having a This pushes the nose 44 of notch therein for reception of the 'project-. ing portion of said member, a bell-crank on the opposite end of said gravity arm, a pin projecting downwardly from the turntable and adapted to turn said bell-crank on its pivot when that end of the gravity arm is raised bringing the bell-crank into the path of movement of said pin, a notched lever adapted to be operated by the bell-crank when the same is turned and a spring actuated brake having means adapted to enter and be releasably held by the notch of said lever.

2. In phonograph stop mechanism, the combination of a turntable brake, a gravity arm provided with means for releasing said brake, said means being actuated from the phonograph motor, means interconnected with said turntable brake for raising said arm against the force of gravity, and a member frictionally attached to and turning with the phonograph tone arm for normally supporting said gravity arm, and a recess provided in the gravity arm in which the said member may be received.

8. In phonograph stop mechanism, a brake, brake operating means comprising a pair of normally disengaged but relatively engageable members, one of which is pivoted to turn transversely of the other and one of which is shiftably connected with the tone arm, and means actuated from the brake for disengaging said members.

4. In phonograph shop mechanism, a turntable brake, releasable holding means therefor, means for operating said holding means to release the brake including a pair of relatively engageable members, and means for disengaging said members when engagedv with one another and adapted to be operated by movement of said brake.

5. In phonograph stop mechanism, a turntable brake, means for releasably holding it in non-braking position, means for operating the holdingmeans to release the brake and including a pair of relatively engageable and disengageable members one of which is shiftably attached to the phonograph tone arm, and means actuated by movement of the brake for disengaging the members of the pair from engagement with one another.

6. In phonograph stop mechanism, a member having a normally fixed but shiftable connection with the phonograph tone arm, a brake for stopping the phonograph motor, means for releasably holding said brake in non-braking position, and a second member normally riding freely on the first named .member but having means of engagement therewith for holding same stationary while the tone arm is manually turned to stop position, and means carried by said second member for releasing the brake from the holding means.

7. In automatic stop mechanism for phonographs, sound reproducing means adapted to move over a record, stop'control means normally moving with said sound reproducing means, but adapted to be shifted with respect thereto, movable means controlled by said control means for moving a member into the path of a motor actuated element, motor stop means, means for releasably holding same inoperative, said member being adapted to actuate said holding means to release the stop means when actuated in turn from the motor actuated element.

8. In automatic stop mechanism for phonographs, movable sound reproducing means adapted to be propelled from a sound record groove, a member normally moving therewith and having a frictional adjustment with respect thereto, a second movable member normally held from movement by bearing lightly against the first member, one of said members being provided with a out-out portion adapted to be entered by the tional adjustment with respect thereto, a

gravity arm normally ridinglightly on said finger and having a cut-out portion adapted to be entered by said finger when said finger comes opposite same in the movement of said sound reproducing means, motor stop means, means carried by said gravity arm for operating said motor stop means, and motor aotuated means for operating the last-named means brought into operation by the movement of said gravity arm.

10. In automatic stop mechanism for phonographs, movable sound reproducing means, a finger mounted thereon and having a frictional adjustment with respect thereto, a gravity arm pivoted on the machine base and adapted to be lightly supported at one end by said finger and having a cut-out portion adapted to be entered by said finger whereby when said finger comes opposite said cut-out portion the gravity arm turns by gravity on its pivot, a projection extending downwardly from the under side of the phonograph turntable, motor stop means and means for operating said motor stop means adapted to be brought upwardly into a gravity arm adapted normally to be supported lightly upon said finger and having a cut-out portion adapted to be entered by said finger, .said gravity arm being pivoted between its ends, an elbow lever on the other end of said gravity arm, a downwardly extending projection upon the phonograph turntable over said elbow lever and into contact wherewith said elbow lever may be 10 brought by the upward movement of the gravity arm, motor stop means, and means for operating said motor stop means adapted to be actuated from said elbow leve when the latter is turned by the projection on the turntable. i

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I hereto setmy hand, this 23 day of April, 1919. V

FRANK D. LEWIS. 

